I'm so sorry that you guys got eliminated this week. I was hoping that the husband-wife team got the boot. They quarrel so much and give out so much negative energy.The part about the car petrol opening was funny. I couldn't imagine Aurelia not knowing how to park the car! I really sympathise with you during the race. It must be hard to race with Aurelia. But hey, at least you get some comic relief.

It's easy to laugh it off now when you're watching the show. But for my part, it was NO FUN.

I couldn't be myself. It was not the ideal race situation to be condusive. Monica and I have a very similar sense of humour, we can look at each other and know what the other person is thinking about and immediately laugh. Brett also thinks I have a killer humour because he and I get each other, I have a dry sense of humour sometimes from my days in Oz and Brett is half-Australian.

I made too many sacrifices for the race, even quitting my job. So it's not something that I could take lightly about. After all it's the Amazing Race and a one-in-a-lifetime chance.

But all in all, everything happens for a reason, I learnt a lot and exchanged a failing friendship for a few more lifelong ones for sure!

It's a race.... not a beauty contest where you have time to look pretty. Especially on almost no sleep at all, with a snoring teammate in the next bed. And no place to use your leg money compromising and getting your teammate makeup remover (in HK) when you're only racing 2-3 days.

I'm very sad that you got eliminated on Ep4 (even not surprised).........but how come in this earth, a team can catch up if they started 7 hrs behind

Aurelia was a FUNNY and PRETTY gal (GOOD for the show ), but she's definitely can't match your pace

What's the reasons you replaced your original partner with Aurelia ? Not with one of your outdoor friends IMHO.......with a strong partner (like pam) you could end up with THE BIG THREE

From Sophie:

I would have loved a partner like Pam! She's awesome! A real go-getter. I would have been very supportive like Vanessa. Yes the sisters impressed me a lot. Even at Start City I knew they were tough girls. Actually they came up to me and told me I looked tough too, but I laughed it off saying I have such lean arms compared to their toned biceps.

There's not even 0.000001% chance to be weak against these strong teams. It's a race!

About my outdoor friends, well, I really didn't plan that my original partner would have pulled out. It was unexpected. Plus in HK (well in other countries too I suppose; depending on your industry), it's a different pace of working life and not many people can take a whole month off without even telling why (a big clause in the contract we had to sign), not have even mobile or Internet connection. You just disappear from the "face of the Earth". For 1 month you belong to the show, they don't even let you tell your family except for one emergency contact in-case...

Aurelia doesn't work or have any real commitments in life to anyone but herself.

I just had no choice. Either I race or not. That was the ultimatum. I always want to see the good side of my friends, so I tried to make the best of everything. I was very positive until I realise being 24/7 with her and actually doing the tasks that she's not the "brightest pea in the pot". I don't think I have ever thought any of my friends to be "challenged" that way.

My friends watched the show and asked me "how could you not have known? you lived with her" To that it was the proof to them that I was really patient and So positive that in the end I did myself in. When Aurelia and I lived together, I really took care of everything in the house etc. I even nailed and installed her wardrobe for her.

Very sad about the race. But it's okay, life goes on and I'm a very happy person now. My friends helped me a lot and they are everything to me.

You see, out of everything I sacrificed to do the race, I had so much personal things on the line too. Things could have been so much worse for me when I came back. Luckily, my true friends came to my aid. I aligned all my priorities the way it really should be, and now I'm a better and happier person.

I'm SO SO SO lucky! I truly am grateful and thankful for all the things that happened in 2007

Like I said in the audition clip, I wanted to learn about life, about myself things I probably would not have learnt in 5 years, if not for the race. One of the MAJOR things was who I can trust and the qualities in a person I deem suitable to be a good influence and supportive friend in my life.

I'm so sorry that you quit your job and got eliminated 3rd. It's alright. Everyone understands that Aurelia can be a pain in the neck sometimes. I laughed when I heard from you that she bought makeup remover even though it was only 3 days into the race. Lol.Yup, the race definitely brings together more friendship bonds and ties.

Hi Sophie, I just know that you posted on this site! (Haha, I always read the TAR spolier thread, but seldom read this one)

I am so sad to see your team eliminated this week coz I root for your team for obvious reason (I am from HK too!) Anyway, it's good to have a chance to get on the race though, I applied with my friend too but didn't get selected, probably because you stole my spot.

Honestly, when I first watched your team on the race, I didn't like you very much. But once I read all your background story here, I really feel sorry for you. I could feel the frustration you had when you got paired up with a teammate like Aurelia. I am surprised that she wasted her time and money in HK that way?! You must be embarassed when she insisted to go to the club.

Also when I watched the show, I didn't understand why you two were last even in HK, but your post here explained everything. Is counting money really that hard? I can't believe all teams spent 2hrs+ on that task!

Do you think this time the producers cast too many models on the show? I think more than half of the teams consist of model or celebrity. They should cast more competent people.

What do you think about Edwin and Monica? Do you know why they wasted so much time even at the starting point which made them not able to catch up in the end? I think this is very pathetic, have they even prepared for the race?

What a great time I had and great way to end the year.... could not have asked for more. I was surrounded with much love and the company of great, great friends! I have so much to be thankful for, after what a rollercoaster ride I've had in 2007.

Thanks so much to Kinar and Brett for flying all the way to Hong Kong to spend Christmas with me and Monica! I love them to bits!!! ahahhahahaha..........

I will update everyone very very shortly.......

I just came back to Hong Kong from a diving trip 1am this morning..... diving with Sharks!

A video diary is coming up!!!

Happy holidays and may all your goals and dreams come true in 2008!!!!

I had a great Christmas week with Brett & Kinar ......it was their first time in Hong Kong! Well, sort of second, but this time they got to see a lot more of Hong Kong compared to the day-stop we did during the race. And I got to introduce them to my good friends here too.

About official TARA2 gatherings...... I've heard some news but nothing is confirmed yet. Some of the racers are having internal gatherings. I'll be travelling again very soon, so will miss out on some fun, but will meet up with Brett and Kinar very soon to go surfing and sightseeing with them again.

Wowo..... bad news......I'm upset, I just had dinner with a friend from Singapore tonight..... who passed me a copy of 8 days magazine, a weekly media news in Singapore.

The truth is out there.... and sooner or later, I hope all Aurelia fans will see the light......

How a girl so desperate to take advantage of her friends, goes to the extend of spreading lies.... and now even heads one-on-one with forumers to slam me just so to "redeem" whatever ways she can "look good" after all..... I have NEVER called Aurelia any names..... in all the interviews, I have merely stated what really happened..... that's it.

It's really sad it's come down to this.

Okay, I wrote this posting then decided there's still hope to be civil, but now after reading that article, I really really think Aurelia was SENT from the devil into my life. And now the show has finally gotten her completely out of my life. It took a show to make me see what I couldnt in real life.

Have you ever met a person who

1) Goes around lying about her AGE and even her RACE!!!!! Her RACE!!!!!!! She gives interviews saying she's half Chinese and French. Emm, maybe the reporter should have dug a bit deeper and ask her 'Chinese' from where? The reason she lies she's Chinese is because there are 2 top models in HK who are really half Chinese, half French.

2) Lies about her Supermodel status in Hong Kong, when now Monica just told me that Aurelia sits at the front door of a new nightclub called Beijing Club, in Lan Kwai Fong.

3) Goes to another level of degradation by calling a former friend (me) unbelievable names in the article, despite I helped her more times than she can count, because she was feeling scared and panicky about how bimbo-like she became in the show. I mean, how could I have made that part of her character come across so if she really isn't like that on her own? Makes no sense.... okay but I guess in trying to defend herself, she again did herself in. Last papagraph of the article reads:Q: Aurelia are you really as bimbotic as you appeared on TV? A: I wouldn't say I'm a bimbo. I like to dress up but I'm not the type who bares her tummy and have blond hair. (Laughs) I'm French - I wear lingerie and high heels instead! Anyway, Sophie is so tough, anyone would look like a bimbo next to her."

Honestly, I really never saw her as being so dumb because she was my friend. I know she isn't very alert at times, but once you're with her 24/7, oh my gosh..... you would think Jessica Simpson is a genius!

Come on.... During the race.........She only thinks of herself even when I was fixing the bike in Manila fo 45 mins while she drank water all by herself (not offering me a drop), they were handing out winter jackets in NZ, uses leg money for cocktails and MAKEUP REMOVER only after racing for 2 days...... can anyone honestly say to themselves..... wow I want to race with Aurelia??!!!!!

I know Aurelia.... she is TERRIFIED of being seen as a stupid girl. So it was all in self-defence.... I'm rising above it all and after I write this, I will not allow her to make me mad. She has done enough harm to me for her own actions she blamed me for and her "fame", more than any other human being I've ever come into contact with! I've never regretted anything so much in my life, than the day I let her move in with me and saw her as a good person.

I really learnt so much about people and friendships last year!

It really amazes me how my past deeds from giving Aurelia a place to stay, helping her move her stuff when her boyfriend broke up with her, bailing her from clubs to making her chinese healing teas, motivating her to start doing other things besides modelling ... All in return for this.... it's truly unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I'm really someone who has lived and learnt. No one will do this to me again. Sigh....

So glad life is going well for you and so sorry for more trouble with Aurelia. Your time with Brett and Kinar sounds wonderful--any pics?

The emoticons are all here:

when you do a post >>click on MORE under the smilies (next to whoohoo) and you get another whole page of cute options.

Logged

"Our fans are pretty good. They don't give away too much. Sometimes people love dropping spoilers, but our fans are good. They tend to do it in such a way that doesn't ruin it for fans who don't want to know."--Phil Keoghan

For your kind words.... so you see.... I have NOTHING to hide.... you know the background and you see the proof of it all!!!! Which other teammate would do such a thing!!! Goes down to another level of disgusting namecalling tactics!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe she thinks this makes her look good. The real production people know what she's like, but of course AXN is having a ball exploiting all possible "cat fight" situations to their advantage to "make news". This is TV!!! She has so much time on her hands to go one-on-one to other forumers to slam me and on top of this write disturbing emails to me before about being friends again.... and how it was my fault I refused to accept her friendship!!!! ....I'm not a pretender and of course..it's the first time I have ever turned away a friendship. And she even wrote to me that she goes around defending me to other fans that hate me because of the bad edit. I would be SO lucky if she STOPS creating drama to cause more heat for me behind my back!!! She has even twisted facts to her advantage!....wow.... amazing.... some fans have even contacted me to ask me these stuff, that's how I found out. Bullshit about defending me! First of all, I don't need her to defend me. There have been traces of her using her own nickname and other lias to slam me on the AXN website TO OTHER FANS because they were all from the same IP address!!!! It's all black and white! All so that she looks like the innocent one, by making me the big bad wolf!!! If I was so mean like her, I have so so so much more dirt on her, believe me! I didn't think she would go SO Far!!!

I'm glad I have NOT gone down to her level no matter what she has done to me. Life is just TOO short! I have kept everything real and just spoke of my race experience. So thanks for listening too.....

Anyway..... if it's okay.... please REMOVE the article from the blog.... no use to show it again. I was just so so so sad and mad!!! I needed to talk to someone about it. I'm so thankful I didn't find out about it before the holidays because I had such an awesome time with the closest people I love.

Hopefully no more tabloid magazines and bad reporters will continue to exploit our crazy race experience.

So everyone.... the moral of the story is to FORGIVE.....and move on..... let's all talk about happy things only on my blog......